Ready to dive straight into PPC nerd mode? Let’s get right to it—handling your company’s PPC campaign can be tricky when you’re manually managing your PPC bids yourself. If you’ve considered bid management software for your advertising campaign, here’s a closer look at 3 of the most successful software programs.

First: A Brief Look at PPC

PPC stands for pay-per-click. This is a form of Internet marketing in which an advertiser will pay a small fee each time a visitor clicks on their ads. In its most basic form, PPC is a way to buy visits to your site. When done properly, this can be an effective way to draw consumers to your site instead of earning visitors organically.

The magic happens when you begin bidding for keywords.

Are you losing revenue or gaining conversions with your bidding efforts?

Be on Target with Bid Management Software

What keywords related to your business are folks searching for? What time of day are your competitors bidding, and what exactly are they bidding for? Trying to manually manage your bids can feel like shooting at a target blindfolded as you attempt to stay ahead of the game. This is where automated bid management software can help.

With the right bid managing software, you’ll have the resources you need to achieve the conversion you’re after—for the lowest price possible. Bid managing software allows you to set up a monthly budget for how much you would like to spend on paid clicks. And instead of spending hours every day monitoring your bids, you can sit back, relax, and let the software take care of all the little details for you.

The good news? Most software programs have reporting tools so you can easily track what kind of return on investments you are receiving.

How Automated Bid Management Software Works

Bid management software is specifically designed for the automatic controlling of bids in search engine marketing (SEM). Using bid management software allows for search terms (keywords) to be managed via various paid search providers like Kenshoo, Marin Software, and WordStream.

Automated bid management software uses scientific algorithms to filter through and apply changes to your ad group bids and keywords. This can free up some serious time and is an effective way to manage bids.

Why You Should Go with 3rd Party

Using a third-party bid management tool such as Kenshoo, Marin Software, and WordStream gives you greater flexibility. You receive a personalized dashboard that allows you to create custom filters for most of your PPC channels, such as AdWords, Facebook, Bing Ads, etc. These filters can be based around different types of data such as Google Analytics, native reports, and more.

One thing to note—since there are so many options available for advertisers, there can be a bit of a learning curve here.

Next, let’s take a look at the top 3 in bid management software.

Kenshoo: The Big Boss in Bid Management

Kenshoo is a digital marketing technology company that specializes in providing premium solutions for search marketing, social media, and online advertising. They have an impressive clientele and currently run campaigns for almost half of the Fortune 50 and top global ad agency networks:

Facebook

Expedia

CareerBuilder

iREP

KAYAK

Havas Digital

Sears

Travelocity

Walgreens

Innovative Tools

With Kenshoo, you’ll spend less time managing your bids and more time actually profiting from them. There are several innovative tools available that will help you succeed in your advertising. With Kenshoo Portfolio Optimizer,you can easily adjust your bids per your end goal. This will allow you to gain the absolute maximum results for what you’re paying. And with Kenshoo ActiveCluster, you receive expert keyword-level predictions and bidding, even if you have a lower campaign volume.

Why Kenshoo Is Top Dog

According to a report, “The Forrester Wave™: Bid Management Software Providers, Q4 2012”, Kenshoo is the top leader. This independent research firm evaluated 5 companies against 19 criteria to see how they measure up for managing paid search media. In its findings, the Forrester Wave™ reported that Kenshoo received top scores in campaign creation and workflow, keyword identification, testing, local media, ease of use, and much more.

Marin Software: Gain Revenue from Your Marketing Cloud

Marin Software is another highly reputable online advertising company that manages, measures, and optimizes the ad spending of brands and agencies across the web and mobile devices. They currently manage some of the world’s biggest names:

Macy’s

Bloomingdales

GAP

eHealth

Hotels.com

ConsumerReports

Symantec

Marin’s red carpet moment was the unleashing of their Advertising Cloud.

The Advertising Cloud brings everything together under the same umbrella. It’s a single platform designed to manage data, campaigns, bidding, reporting, and optimization across the major ad channels of search, social, and display. The Advertising Cloud allows you to take action on all aspects of valuable marketing data—this makes managing a campaign a breeze.

With the help of the Advertising Cloud, you could see an increase in revenue when it comes to your campaign’s bidding.

WordStream: Turbo-Boost Your PPC Results

WordStream makes online advertising easy. Their masterpiece 20-Minute PPC Work Week program makes it a cinch for advertisers to manage bids in only a few minutes each week. The software is a blend of complex algorithms, best bidding practices, and the advertiser’s goals and objectives tossed together to come up with a perfect PPC mix.

WordStream offers a handful of handy tools:

PPC software: WordStream Advisor is a program that assists companies with optimizing the money they spend on paid search (Google, Yahoo, and Bing). This works to convert leads into paying customers.

Free Graders: WordStream offers a free AdWords Performance Grader. For those using Google AdWords, you’ll receive a report card with recommendations on how to achieve better results.

WordStream’s bidding tool also provides intelligent keyword bid-change recommendations and looks for ways to strategically cut bids instead of suggesting that you drop more Benjamins to increase bids.

Since they manage the campaigns for The Huffington Post, USA TODAY, and The New York Times, you know they’re doing something right.

Why You Should Hire PPC Experts

All 3 of these bid management software platforms offer unique tools that are designed to help your brand succeed. However, managing a large campaign can be a tedious battle, and it’s only too easy to allow things to slip through the cracks without a large team of experts to help. Instead of paying for the software, save yourself the cash and invest in a marketing company that utilizes the bidding software you’re after. Having a management platform that can make adjustments to your campaign is critical for any large company’s overall success.

Allow a team of PPC experts to manage your large campaign for optimal results.

Unsure where to start? Contact a professional PPC strategist at OrangeSoda. We’ll handle your bid management and help your campaign to yield lucrative results.

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/choose-right-bid-management-software-company/feed/0Which Social Media Outlet Is Best for My Business?http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/social-media-outlet-best-business/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/social-media-outlet-best-business/#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 18:08:20 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=11494Let’s face it—social media has taken over the globe one Facebook user at a time. And unless you’re the adorable old lady who believes Twitter is a birdwatching club, it’s time to utilize social media for your company. As a business owner, you’ve probably wondered which social media outlet is best. Here’s an insider’s look...

Let’s face it—social media has taken over the globe one Facebook user at a time. And unless you’re the adorable old lady who believes Twitter is a birdwatching club, it’s time to utilize social media for your company. As a business owner, you’ve probably wondered which social media outlet is best. Here’s an insider’s look at the top 5.

The 5 Most Popular Social Media Sites

The curtains been unveiled and the numbers are in for 2015. Here are the most popular social media sites businesses should be looking at:

Let’s put this into perspective: with Google+ alone, there are more active users than there are people living in the United States. Wow! And what’s Wow upside down? Mom. And you can bet that your mom is probably on Google+.

Where to Start: Personal Networking VS Professional Networking

Many businesses feel as if they’re stumbling around in the dark when it comes to utilizing social media, and many more report that they aren’t receiving the return they expected from their social media efforts. When you understand the different types of networking involved with social media, it makes it much easier to determine where you should focus your efforts.

There are two types of networking in the social media world: personal and professional. Personal networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are focused on creating an emotional connection with users. Folks can post pics from their Australian vacation or tweet about the llama that stole a bite from their burger, and friends can reply back. Personal networking is all about the fun, nostalgic, entertaining, and humorous.

Professional networking, on the other hand, is targeted around maintaining a professional identity and building a strong brand. LinkedIn is an excellent example. This is the place where you can collaborate with experts on projects, search for new employees, and make strategic contacts.

The question you should ask then is this: what are your main goals? Are you trying to build professional contacts, or are you looking to gain more of an emotional connection with consumers? This should help you decide between personal and professional networking. It doesn’t necessarily mean you should abandon one method and go with the other; sometimes a blend of both brings the right mix. Rather, it’s about finding out which forum works best for your company’s goals.

Are you trying to connect with customers or network with professionals?

Facebook

Facebook is the biggest thing since indoor plumbing. What started off in 2004 as a small app for college students has become the world’s largest networking platform. Everyone from Madonna to Pope Francis is on Facebook. Even businesses like your favorite gym and the laundromat down the street uses this site. This spells good news for business owners. Facebook offers a business page, which provides the perfect place for businesses to build their brand and promote events and company info.

There are a few ways businesses can make the most of their Facebook page. Facebook ads are one way to build your brand. A social media marketing expert can help determine the most ideal geographic and demographic targets for your Facebook ads campaign. Social coupons are another excellent strategy that can grow your customer base. If you send coupons to consumer’s smart phones or tablets, you’ll be able to turn followers into loyal customers!

One thing to remember—when it comes to your business page, make it a place to build your brand, but resist the temptation to turn your page into an advertisement.

A Couple Tips

Thursdays and Fridays show 18% better engagement with users than on other days, so use this to your advantage. Also, be sure to include photos as much as possible. Photos generate 120% more engagement, and shorter posts, under 250 characters, have 60% more engagement than longer posts.

Grow your customer fan base with the help of Facebook ads and social coupons.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the bread and butter B2B social networking site. This site is more than just a place to post your resume and look for a job; this is a forum where professionals go to improve themselves, their company, and ultimately their future.

Here are 3 ways LinkedIn can help your business:

Creating a LinkedIn company page for your products, services, and as a way to attract potential employees will help to increase exposure.

Receiving recommendations from past employees and clients will increase credibility and help to attract new business.

Building your professional network can assist you in making important introductions with potential partners, suppliers, distributors, and more.

If you’re trying to promote a professional brand, this is the outlet to use. So put on your sharpest suit, and be sure to dot your I’s and cross your T’s because you never know what professional leads you’ll find with LinkedIn.

Google+

It’s no secret—Google is the biggest kid on the block when it comes to search engines. Since Google+ is owned and operated by Google, it only makes perfect sense for a business to create a Google+ business profile. With your account, you drastically increase the chance of getting highly targeted visitors from Google’s organic search results.

Think of Google+ as a more formal and professional version of Facebook. Similar to getting a Facebook “like” you can receive a “+1” vote. The more votes you receive, the better. These social signal votes basically tell Google that people are reading and sharing the things you’ve posted, and this can work to increase your search rankings.

You also have the opportunity to link content back to specific pages of your website, and businesses can add other social media profiles, such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, to their account as well. What better way to gain a little more authority with Google that to have your social profiles included on your Google+ business page?

Twitter

From the girl next door to celebrities to the largest multinational corporations, anyone can use Twitter. This social media outlet allows you to start or join conversations, giving you an opportunity to personally interact directly with brands and customers. Posts are short and sweet at 140 characters or less and can be organized via the iconic hashtag symbol (#).

Twitter allows users to “follow” each other. This can be extremely useful if you connect with the right people, such as customers and leaders in your industry. With the right approach, Twitter can increase brand awareness and drive website traffic, which can then lead to conversions.

A Few Tips

Including a picture with a tweet is extremely favorable. Pictures have shown an 89% increase in favorites and a 150% increase in retweets. You’ll also want to use #’s. If you’re unsure which ones are used in your industry, check out the hashtags your competitors are using.

Knowing when to Tweet can be tricky. Here are the peak times for CTR’s of posts:

Between the morning commute hours: 7 a.m.–8 a.m.

Right after lunch: around 2 p.m.

In the evening: between 8 p.m.–9 p.m.

Including a pic with your tweets increases “favorites” in the twittersphere.

Pinterest

Pinterest is more than just pics of prom dresses and decorating tips. This is the perfect social media forum for any business with products or services. If you can represent your brand visually with intriguing pics, you’ll definitely want in on this cash cow opportunity.

Here are just a few benefits:

Increases the traffic to your website: with a simple click of the mouse, consumers can click on your image and be redirected to your website to read your content and purchase products.

Improves your search results through Google: one thing to note, Pinterest favors fresh content. You’ll want to pin and re-pin frequently in order to appear within current results for a particular search term.

Attracts consumers ready to by: 70% of users turn to Pinterest for inspiration on what to buy as compared to Facebook, which sits at a much lower 17%.

Brian Williams—the suave face of NBC Nightly News and one of the nation’s favorite reporters (until now) was recently suspended from NBC for 6 months without pay. This occurred after he falsely reported coming under fire in a US military helicopter during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Williams earnestly recanted his story, but the damage was done. After more than 22 years of praise for his high levels of journalistic excellence, his reputation has crumbled. Here’s a closer look as to why Williams could benefit from some reputation management.

What Is Reputation Management?

Reputation management is the influencing and control of an individual’s or business’s reputation in the public eye. This was originally meant to be a public relations term, but now falls almost entirely under the Internet and social media umbrella, and is referred to as online reputation management (ORM). As the Internet has become more popular, ORM has shifted towards online search results, review sites, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

What Folks Are Finding on Google

Take a closer look at Williams’s online reputation. Try a Google search for “Brian Williams.” As of now, the entire first page of results are dedicated entirely to the current scandal. The overwhelming negative search results continue on to the second page, third page, fourth page, and beyond.

Wow. That’s a lot of bad press Mr. Williams!

It’s the same with any business. When a consumer types in the business’s name, what search results will they find? Will it be the business’s website, or will it be a bitter customer complaint posted on a popular review site?

With the rise of blogging, it is only too easy for any disgruntled individual to tarnish a business or product’s good name. In fact, it’s not unheard of for a group of individuals with a vendetta to band together with a mission to destroy a company’s reputation online in order to profit from the company’s shorted stock.

It’s a frightening truth, but a solid reputation that took years to build can literally be destroyed in mere seconds—just as Williams discovered.

Negative Reputation: A Domino Effect

According to a Rasmussen Reports Survey, 40% of Americans think Williams should step down from his role as star anchor and managing editor at Nightly News. 800 adults took place in the survey, which was conducted in early February. 35% of those surveyed disagreed, leaving 25% who were unsure.

For years, Williams has been the most watched news anchor in the U.S. His fall from grace has been jarring. To put it simply, one slip-up was like the tipping of a domino—to the point where Williams’s career and reputation has fallen into serious jeopardy.

It’s the same with any brand. Consumers spend a significant amount of time researching a product online before buying. Even if the product is superb, it only takes 1 harsh review to change a consumer’s mind. Oftentimes, negative reviews create a more powerful impact than positive ones. Negative feedback can, andmost certainly will, lead to loss of revenue.

Avoid the domino effect with the help of an ORM specialist.

What Does an ORM Specialist Do?

An ORM specialist does everything in their power to gain the maximum control possible for their client. In essence, they work to improve what others see about the client online. Specialists use a number of different techniques to shove negative content down into the dark recesses of search engine results. These techniques could include social media intervention, microsites, mobile feedback and reviews, press releases, and more. The end goal is to ensure that the public’s opinion is in line with their client’s goals.

With ORM, careful steps are taken to identify what people are saying or expressing about an individual or business. Whenever a nasty review or blog crops up online, they catch it right away. This allows the client to reach out and address the concern with consumers, so they can salvage and improve relationships. Negative reviews can be damaging, but proper steps can be taken to keep them from snowballing into something worse.

There’s a pretty good chance that Williams’s new bff is an ORM specialist.

Why Reputation Management Is Crucial

ORM is crucial for any business or name that relies heavily on their online presence. Take a business owner for example. Many SMBs don’t even realize that they need to be concerned with their online reputation until they begin finding a string of bad customer reviews or complaints across social media. Constructive criticism can be a good thing—it can help a business to measure where they’re at and make changes to get themselves on the right path—but when this turns to defamatory remarks or slanderous accusations, a business’s strong brand can be severely compromised.

What’s worse, negative reviews and feedback are oftentimes found on websites, like Angie’s List and Yelp, which tend to rank well in search results. Anyone doing a search for the business will inevitably stumble across the negative reviews, even if they are false. ORM can help businesses to avoid the pitfalls associated with this.

The Benefits of Reputation Management

ORM not only works to minimize the negative, but a strategist will also highlight the good about your name or brand. Word-of-mouth-marketing is one of the most effective sources of marketing out there. You know your customers are talking about your products or services online. When you have happy customers, your ORM strategist will celebrate your success stories online. As more and more customers discover that they can rely on your products or services, they’ll continue to spread the good word. An ORM specialist will capitalize and build on the positive. This will lead to increased conversion and customer retention. Moving a brand form the shadows of a negative light into a positive one is truly priceless.

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/brian-williams-needs-reputation-management/feed/05 Crucial Reasons to List Your Business in Online Local Directorieshttp://www.orangesoda.com/blog/5-crucial-reasons-list-business-online-local-directories/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/5-crucial-reasons-list-business-online-local-directories/#commentsFri, 06 Feb 2015 14:30:08 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=11440Nowadays, the trend is to search for nearby carwashes with your smartphone and to buy kitchen appliances from your tablet while lounging in your pajamas in bed. The Internet is everywhere, and the old hardback Yellow Pages have become nothing more than paper weights. In fact, every single day there are nearly 6-billion Google searches....

]]>Nowadays, the trend is to search for nearby carwashes with your smartphone and to buy kitchen appliances from your tablet while lounging in your pajamas in bed. The Internet is everywhere, and the old hardback Yellow Pages have become nothing more than paper weights. In fact, every single day there are nearly 6-billion Google searches. Oftentimes, folks’ online searches lead them to local business directories.

If you’re a small business owner, there’s a goldmine of opportunity in getting your business listed in online local directories. Here are the top 5.

1: Generate New Leads

When you have your business listed in popular directories like Yelp and Foursquare, it makes it a cinch for consumers to find you. These directories drive a lot of traffic and can literally bring new customers through your doors.

A vertical directory is also an excellent place to list your particular product or service. Vertical directories target a niche market. These directories tend to rank really well in searches with the particular keywords from your profession. You’ll want to be in on this gem of an opportunity for sure.

2: Link Building

In order to thrive in the online world, it’s important that your SEO strategy focuses on building high-quality links. Many online directories provide a link to your website within the business profile. There is a major benefit to this—many of these directories do well in organic search rankings for important search terms. If you can’t get your website ranked high for a specific keyword, you can have your business listed in a directory site that ranks for that specific term. This will generate quality links back to your website and also promote your business.

3: Allows Consumers to Leave Feedback

The numbers are in and research is showing that approximately 61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase or choosing a service. 63% of customers are more likely to purchase from a site that has reviews. Basically put, customer reviews lead to conversion. Being listed in a local business directory can do this for you. Many directories allow consumers to leave feedback and even rate the service they experienced. Let your current customers spread the good word about your business.

4: Citations

A citation is any reference to your business name, address, or phone number (called NAP data) on a web page. Citations have always been important, but this has become increasingly true since Google released the Pigeon update to their algorithm. This innovative update was targeted primarily at the websites of local businesses, and provides an excellent opportunity for businesses in the know. Obtaining authoritative citations with consistent NAP info across the web is vital, and will lead to improved performance within the local spectrum.

In order for citations to deliver their full value, the NAP information across all citations needs to match the NAP info listed on your website. The Chambers of Commerce and BBB are 2 excellent local citations you’ll want to utilize.

5: Maps

Maps and local directories tend to have a somewhat symbiotic relationship. As you gain more authoritative and consistent citations on major directories, your maps presence will dramatically improve. Once again, this has become increasingly true since the release of Google’s Pigeon update. This, coupled with the fact that the major maps listings receive a huge amount of traffic from consumers on their smartphone devices, makes these strategies even more mandatory for local businesses to achieve success.

Common Mistakes SMBs Make

Has your GPS ever led you to the boonies? There’s nothing more frustrating than discovering that the diner you found online had the wrong address listed. It’s a staggering fact, but more than half of all business listings in online directories have errors—whether it’s a misspelled name, a wrong phone number, or old address. This not only leads to dissatisfied consumers, but it also leads to potential revenue loss.

A common misconception among small businesses is that you can create or correct a listing on a major directory once and then move on. Unfortunately, this “set it and forget it” mentality will leave your performance within local search lacking at best. The reason for this is that the major data aggregators (Infogroup, Acxiom, and Localeze) are constantly pushing out business information, which is then picked up by major directories and maps listings. Unless you have a managed listing, once one of the aggregators pushes out outdated business info, your directories will revert back to the incorrect information.

LocalSync

In order to avoid this headache, you need to have a service that provides constant management of your business listings on major directories, as well as maps listings. OrangeSoda can help out here.

With LocalSync, your business will be listed perfectly across 40+ of the most popular directories, apps, and mapping sites. Instead of struggling to remember dozens of passwords and trying to juggle all of your directory listings, the crew at OrangeSoda can take over. Your information will be updated regularly and you’ll be added to new directories each month. You can expect prime placement for your business.

All you have to do is sit back and watch consumers flock to you.

Local directories could be just the thing your small business needs to bump up to the next level. The Internet has changed the way the world searches. Be part of the change.

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/5-crucial-reasons-list-business-online-local-directories/feed/0Easy Ideas for Promoting Your Products This Holiday Seasonhttp://www.orangesoda.com/blog/christmas-product-promotion-ideas/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/christmas-product-promotion-ideas/#commentsThu, 11 Dec 2014 14:00:08 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=8322The perfect time to show off your products is during the holidays. It’s that special time of year when consumers have their wallets out and are ready to buy. Of course, people recognize they have a lot to buy for kids, neighbors, and the list continues, so they are looking for the best deals to...

]]>The perfect time to show off your products is during the holidays. It’s that special time of year when consumers have their wallets out and are ready to buy. Of course, people recognize they have a lot to buy for kids, neighbors, and the list continues, so they are looking for the best deals to get what they need for the best price. One way to motivate consumers to buy from you is by hosting the perfect holiday social media promotion. Here are a few ideas to promote your products during this season.

Facebook Giveaway

A Social Sweepstakes is one of the best ways to get more people to learn about your product, and to encourage people to share your brand with their loved ones. Consider giving away some of your products and services in return for an email address, a social share, and/or a new like. If you need help running this type of promotion, please contact us. We have a tool that will help you with this very type of product promotion.

Creative Facebook Giveaway Ideas

12 days of Christmas Giveaway: Everyone loves the 12 days of Christmas. Take advantage of this tradition by giving away something different each day the 12 days leading up to the holiday. If you’re in doubt, consider the success Ellen has with this very promotion.

Advent Calendar Giveaway: It’s a little late to start this promotion for 2014, but it’s never too late to start planning for 2015. Consider giving away something to your followers each day of the Christmas advent. This will also help people return to your Facebook Page daily during December.

Daily Snow Globe Giveaway: Have your customer return to your Facebook Page daily during December to “shake a snow globe,” and see if they won one of the wonderful prizes you will be giving away. This is also a fun way for customers to see what you are offering and to remember to visit your social sites every day.

Elf on the Facebook Shelf: Everyone loves elf on the shelf, don’t they? Get customers to engage on your Facebook Page by asking them where the most creative place they hid their Elf on the Shelf was this year. The most creative answer could win a prize of some sort–free services, free products, or maybe even a gift card. When you’ve selected a winner, make sure to announce it on your Facebook Page, and tag the winner in your announcement post, so they know they won. This is an ideal way to get engagement on your Facebook Page, encourage conversation, and give others the opportunity to learn more about your products and service. Not to mention, it’s also a great way for others to get ideas about where to place their Elf on the Shelf the next day.

These are just a few recommendations of how to run a promotion in December. We would love to hear your ideas. Please feel free to share them with us in the comments of this blog post.

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/christmas-product-promotion-ideas/feed/0A Quick 2014 Holiday SEO Guidehttp://www.orangesoda.com/blog/holiday-seo-guide/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/holiday-seo-guide/#commentsThu, 04 Dec 2014 14:00:07 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=8342I usually spend a couple hours every day reading various Internet marketing blogs. As a marketer, I want to make sure I keep up with the industry in order to offer the latest and greatest advice. Every once in a while, I come across a post that is fun, interesting, funny, or just all-around great,...

]]>I usually spend a couple hours every day reading various Internet marketing blogs. As a marketer, I want to make sure I keep up with the industry in order to offer the latest and greatest advice. Every once in a while, I come across a post that is fun, interesting, funny, or just all-around great, and I think to myself, “Now why didn’t I think of that?!” Well, I recently came across a post that is all of the above-mentioned things, so I wanted to share it with you.

Here are the (Almost) ABCs of SEO brought to you by Search Engine Watch. You can click on the link to access the article, but here are the points that stuck out most to me (not in any quirky ABC order because Grant Simmons already thought of it, dang it!).

Keep Reviews Visible on Your Site

Non-traditional word-of-mouth marketing (shares, retweets, recommendations, etc.) is huge when it comes to online marketing. Not only are people researching products thoroughly before making a purchase but Google also gives priority and better visibility to companies with good reviews. If people like you, brag about it on your site.

Integrate Social Sharing

Social shares are playing more and more of a role in search engine marketing. As such, it’s important to make sure your people can easily share your content. The likelihood of someone copying and pasting your article into one of their social networks is a bit slim, but if you include social sharing buttons, it becomes much easier, and your readers won’t be able to resist. If you’re going to go to the trouble of generating great content, make sure it’s shareable.

Make Your Site Responsive and Mobile Friendly

Your website is one of the best ways to reel in a new customer. If your website is ugly or hard to use, your potential customers will leave the page, leading to a higher bounce rate. If it takes too long for your website to load, people will bounce. If your website isn’t mobile friendly, say goodbye to mobile searchers. Invest in quality web design services, and test your website often. You don’t want to lose a customer because your web design was stale.

Track Ecommerce Values

If you want to know what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong, then make sure you have some sort of analytics running on the backend of your site. Google Analytics is free and a great resource, but remember, it is not the only resource out there. You can also try KissMetrics, Crazy Egg, or any other analytics tool suggested here. If you don’t track your ecommerce values, then you are simply playing a guessing game, and you won’t be able to improve. There is a lot to learn from data, so do your best to start tracking your actions. If you need help interpreting your results, contact one of our online marketing professionals at OrangeSoda, and we will help you out.
There’s never been a better time to work on your online marketing strategy. View the A to Z guide here, and have a great holiday season!

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/holiday-seo-guide/feed/0About Digital Social Coupons and Why You Should Use Themhttp://www.orangesoda.com/blog/digital-social-coupons-use/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/digital-social-coupons-use/#commentsMon, 10 Nov 2014 14:00:41 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=11304When was the last time you flipped through a coupon book? Days ago, weeks ago, or months ago? Did you use the coupons or end up forgetting them in your purse, car, or wallet when it came time for the transaction? If you’re like me, you forgot them and ended up paying full price. With...

]]>When was the last time you flipped through a coupon book? Days ago, weeks ago, or months ago? Did you use the coupons or end up forgetting them in your purse, car, or wallet when it came time for the transaction? If you’re like me, you forgot them and ended up paying full price.

With billions of people using their mobile devices while they shop, it makes sense for many large businesses, as well as SMBs, to use digital coupons to reach customers and increase conversion rates—and perhaps even more valuable: track where these sales came from. Digital coupons are becoming less of a niche habit and more mainstream, as eMarketer reported earlier this year. They estimated that 55% of US adult Internet users will redeem online coupons at least once during 2014. These numbers will continue to grow over the next few years.

How Digital Coupons Work

Digital coupons are an electronic version of a coupon for products or services. Retailers offer them in different ways. Some manufacturers require a digital download or entry to “unlock” the deal before you redeem. Some retailers use promotional codes that the shoppers enter before checking out online.

Some brands are creating separate apps to help their consumers find deals. Target developed a separate coupon app called Cartwheel that integrates with their regular app. Shoppers can browse weekly specials, promotions, and deals on Cartwheel and then add it to their “cart.” Shoppers present these coupons to a checker at the store or can use the codes online to redeem discounts or the coupon on the app when they check out.

Digital coupons remove the paper from a transaction. Many consumers can simply show their phone to a retailer and receive a discount.

How Social Media Fits into the Picture

You might think that social media operates independently of digital coupons; however, a powerful marketing strategy will harness the power of social media and integrate coupons in a way that bolsters conversion rates and extends marketing reach.

Social media is a great tool to use when distributing digital coupons. For one, you already have a fan-base there, and it allows you to engage your fans. Two, social media allows users to easily share the coupon with friends and friendly with a simple click of the button. This share feature carries the ability of making a coupon spread virally.

Digital social coupons can also help your brand gain a bigger following when you require users to “Like” your page in order to use the coupon. You can also use social media coupons to help you drive traffic to your website, or a specific landing page for the promotion.

OrangeSoda’s Digital Coupon Solution: Social Coupons

Our team designed a product that helps you achieve many marketing goals with each promotion you run. We call our solution Social Coupons. We help you establish a campaign by building a branded promotion, publishing it on your Facebook page or website, and then driving traffic to the coupon. After all is said and done, we report success and then repeat. Social Coupons turn social followers into actual customers.

Why Use Social Coupons?

Customer Acquisition

Successful coupons will take potential customers and turn them into your real-life customers. Social Coupons are focused on customer acquisition by taking your social following, driving traffic to your website, asking for information (like an email address), and getting them to make a purchase.

Targeted Traffic

When you are trying to obtain more customers, it’s crucial you are focused on the right demographic. Why not use your social media following—people who already like your brand and are familiar with your company? Social Coupons promotions direct your social followers to your website to increase traffic and awareness. When the user redeems the coupon, the action is shared to their social stream and opens the potential to get more traffic from their friends.

Paid Media

Social Coupons work in a similar manner to PPC campaigns. Traffic from the coupon is directed to a specific landing page on the website, which is optimized for conversion and sales.

Social Coupons may be the perfect next step for your online marketing strategy. With millions of users on social media, you can start using digital coupons to reach these users, drive traffic to your website, and start gaining more conversions.

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/digital-social-coupons-use/feed/04 Strategies for Cultivating Winning Business Partnershipshttp://www.orangesoda.com/blog/4-strategies-cultivating-winning-business-partnerships/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/4-strategies-cultivating-winning-business-partnerships/#commentsTue, 28 Oct 2014 14:00:08 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=11069Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. Bill and Melinda Gates. These people are all successful partners in business. No matter what industry you’re in or what type of business you operate, you depend on other people for part of your success. Whether it’s your supplier, your executive team, or your innovative...

No matter what industry you’re in or what type of business you operate, you depend on other people for part of your success. Whether it’s your supplier, your executive team, or your innovative product team, everyone plays an important role in the overall function of your company. But what happens when you introduce other people (partners) into your business strategy? For some, this introduces risks, but for most experienced entrepreneurs, this opens many windows of opportunity. According to Forbes, 1.6 million small businesses in America are partnerships. The right partnerships can end up being one of your biggest assets, but you need to have the right strategies in place to win.

Make Sure You Have Mutually Beneficial Goals

A partnership will only work if both parties are dedicated to achieving the same goals, which should be mutually beneficial. In a sales relationship, one company might feel less motivated to sell a certain product if they get the “short end of the stick” (less commission, less recognition, their client doesn’t benefit as much as the other). From the beginning, make sure your goals align and are appropriate for all involved parties. It’s okay to have separate goals for your unique organization, but to capitalize on the market and profit, you need to decide up front what the partners are going to contribute to the relationship. Common goals will give everyone something to work toward.

Set Clear Expectations

This part is important for any workplace relationship. Forming clear expectations is one of the first things you need to do if you want everyone involved to be accountable for actions and deliverables. An expectation could be something like, “Your team will hand over monthly sales reports by the 20th” or it could be something like “Every team member will sell 12 accounts weekly.”

Without outlined expectations, it is easy to put the blame on someone else or another outstanding factor, therefore allowing your team to repeat mistakes and/or avoid consequences. Business partnerships will quickly go downhill if there aren’t boundaries, goals, and expectations set from the beginning. There will always be a bit of trial and error before you know your expectations are attainable, so plan on being a little flexible in the beginning.

Is Everyone “In The Know”?

Partnerships always involve at least two people and, in the business world, usually include many more professionals that come from different areas of the company. There are most likely several teams from both sides involved in the partnership, working on goals, and communicating on a regular basis. One of the hardest parts of partnerships is the communication aspect. It’s crucial you keep everyone on the same page to avoid costly mistakes that happen because someone didn’t know about something.

One of the best ways to do this is establish a pattern early on and a standard for the level of communication required. Maybe this would include a daily email that includes everyone involved or a weekly phone conference. Regular communication keeps you or the boss “in the know” on the partner side of things and vice versa. It opens the door to work through problems early on and address concerns directly.

Get to Know Each Other

Even though partners in business may not work in the same office or even meet face-to-face, don’t let that stop you from creating a true team environment. Make sure you keep in touch with and know more people than just your main point of contact on the other side. This will help you deepen the connection you have with the partner and create stronger ties across company lines. You don’t want your contract to end if there is turnover. The more people who know you, the more likely you will keep the relationship. The more people you create relationships with, the better.

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/4-strategies-cultivating-winning-business-partnerships/feed/0What We know about Penguin 3.0 So Farhttp://www.orangesoda.com/blog/what-we-know-about-penguin-3/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/what-we-know-about-penguin-3/#commentsMon, 20 Oct 2014 17:18:58 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=11261Google confirmed an algorithm update to Penguin this past weekend. Welcome, Penguin 3.0! While the details are still forthcoming, here’s what we know so far. About Penguin Penguin was first announced in April of 2012. The algorithm affects search engine rankings by targeting websites that violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines by using “black hat” SEO techniques,...

About Penguin

Penguin was first announced in April of 2012. The algorithm affects search engine rankings by targeting websites that violate Google’s Webmaster Guidelines by using “black hat” SEO techniques, link schemes, etc. Google estimates that Penguin affects around 3% of English search queries. Google has made 6 updates to the search recipe, and the most recent one is 3.0, which was released on October 17th and complete by October 20th.

What an Algorithm Update Means

An algorithm update means that the quality metrics feeding into the recipe changed. It’s not a “refresh” of the data. So, for those of you who have been doing link audits, working on cleaning up links on your site, and disavowing links that could be considered part of a link scheme, you could see a positive outcome from this go-around. If you have been neglecting your links, you could see a change in your organic traffic.

Who’s Affected

As we mentioned before, Penguin targets websites that use outdated and manipulative techniques in order to change search engine rankings. The last Penguin update happened last year in October, and only impacted 1% of queries. Pierre Far said this update affected less than “1% of US queries…The “refresh” helps sites that have cleaned up their bad links from the past, and demotes sites with newly-discovered [SIC] spam.” Changes will also affect international search queries.

]]>http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/what-we-know-about-penguin-3/feed/0How Reputation Management Affects Your Bottom-Linehttp://www.orangesoda.com/blog/reputation-management-affects-bottom-line/
http://www.orangesoda.com/blog/reputation-management-affects-bottom-line/#commentsWed, 15 Oct 2014 14:00:34 +0000http://www.orangesoda.com/?p=11188Did you know 52% of people are more likely to use a local business with positive reviews? Meanwhile, only 28% make a choice based on location and convenience. In a study by public relations firm Weber Shandwick, it concluded that what people say and online reviews are the most influential factor when forming consumer perceptions...

What this means for you as a small business owner: what people say online about you, your brand, and your business matters, and it could affect the future of your business if you don’t take action.

Where Are People Talking about You?

Customers often talk about businesses on social media and online directories. Think of it as the new version of word-of-mouth marketing. Instead of telling neighbors in person what plumbing company you used for your latest draining cleaning, you are probably more likely to post about your experience on your Facebook Timeline (social media) or write a review on Angie’s List (directory).

How Reputation Management Affects Your Bottom Line

Reputation management is the term used by online marketers and public relations professionals that refers to monitoring what people are saying about a brand. This isn’t just a small concept or a once-a-month thing—there are people out there who make a career in brand reputation management because online reputation makes a difference in bottom lines. This segment of an infographic by Entrepreneur sums it up pretty well.

“Today’s consumers conduct extensive research on companies and products before making a purchase or decision. It is imperative that your reputation be in good standing.”

A great example of a company who has seen decreased revenue due to poor reputation management is British Petroleum. What is the first thing you think of when someone mentions BP? For me, it is the 2010 oil spill. And apparently I’m not the only one.

As of this summer, BP has had to pay more than $28 billion to compensate people, businesses, and communities who were affected by the crisis, as well as fight the uphill battle of repairing the public’s perception. The company is known for turning off comment functions across social media to avoid liability issues, however, some people view this as an inappropriate way to control messages.

This is a grand example to show how poor reputation management affects business, but there are still lessons that are applicable for small businesses.

Stay in Control

The scary part about the online world for most people is the lack of control. You can’t control what people say about your business, but you can be proactive in shaping other customers’ perception by taking control of the proper channels:

You should create social media profiles for your business that have up-to-date information about your business hours and general services. As an administrator, you can monitor activity and respond when people have questions or comments.

Online directories are growing in popularity. To make sure your potential customers can find you, create listings for your business on popular sites (Yelp, Google, etc.), as well as industry- or location-specific directories.

Quick Tips for Managing Your Online Reputation

Wouldn’t it be great if you could avoid angry customers leaving bad reviews altogether? You can try! This article has some good tips for calming customers before they leave a negative review. However, when you encounter these reviews, use these pointers for managing your online reputation.

Tackle it at the source. This means that you should respond or take action on the same platform as it was posted. Most sites and directories offer options for responding directly to comments or reviews, as long as you have your listing or profile claimed.

Respond quickly. An unhappy customer needs to be addressed in a timely manner. Radio silence doesn’t go over very well on the Web. In fact, someone may interpret that as you not caring, which is not the message you want to send. Reputation management is about showing that you do care.

Control your anger. Chances are that people won’t be posting 100% positive reviews 100% of the time. There could be a chance that a past customer has some of his facts wrong or just had a very unusual experience that doesn’t accurately reflect how you operate your company or how you train your employees to offer customer service. Try to remain calm in your response and acknowledge how the customer feels, and then offer a solution. You may want to consider taking the conversation offline to work out the details, so you don’t have to set a precedent for refunds, additional services, etc.

Check in often, if not daily. To make sure you don’t miss anything, you should check your profiles and directory listings often or, even better, on a daily basis. Regular check-ins will help you stay in control and take action early.